The Week in Quotes

August 9-15

"Even though Don had not had managerial experience, I thought that was fine at the time. No problem at all. I do think you look for experience now. The club is in a different situation than it was two years ago."
—Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik after firing manager Don Wakamatsu.

"I'm going to keep all options open. I'm still formulating my thoughts and ideas right now. My goal is to hire the guy we feel is the right fit for where we're at. Experience will probably be a factor, but I think I have to leave my options wide open." —Zduriencik on what he's looking for in a manager.

"This just happened last week. There probably will be a degree of momentum toward the end of the season. That would be a natural occurrence on how things will happen. I might touch base here and there with different general managers about possible candidates. Right now, it's more important to step away, just think about a lot of things, put some things down on paper. There will be a lot of people calling me to offer their recommendations an advice."
—Zduriencik. (Larry Stone, Seattle Times)

WITH THAT KIND OF FASHION SENSE, OF COURSE THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT TRACK

"Someone said it looked like Halloween candy corn. Take a picture because you won't see them again."
—Orioles manager Buck Showalter, on the team's bright orange uniforms worn against the Rays on Friday in a throwback promotion.

"The thing I like about Buck is the consistency he's shown. For the most part you know exactly where you're going to be hitting in the lineup. You have a good idea what position you're going to be playing."
—Orioles first baseman Luke Scott.

"He can't wear a suit and be in front of a camera. I mean, c'mon. It was a nice gig and it bridged the gap, but you know sooner or later he's got too much life left and the love of this game and the desires to turn around the fortunes of a club."
—former reliever and current Rays television analyst Brian Anderson, on Showalter. (Bill Vilona, Pensacola News-Journal)

IT'S AN HONOR TO BE CORNERED BY A CY YOUNG WINNER

"All the yelling, the talking, the pushing, the fighting and everything else, there was nobody throwing punches, there was nobody doing that stuff. I don’t care how scared you are or what the deal is. Whatever excuse you have, you don't start doing that."
—Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter on Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto kicking him during a brawl between the two teams.

"I was trying to go in and trying to break people off. As soon as I knew it, I had like 20 people pushing me all over to the net. I already had my back to the net with my feet up. When you see more than 15 people going over you, you definitely are going to get scared. I did get nervous."
—Cueto.

"Dusty had something to say, I had something to say, and the next thing you know all hell broke loose. I come home and try to explain to my son ‘Why is Scott Rolen attacking me? Why is everybody pushing you into the net?’"
—Carpenter.

"They had him pinned up pretty good, like a rat in the corner with nowhere to go. It wasn't very pretty for him, or anybody else."
—Reds manager Dusty Baker on Cueto. (Mark Sheldon, MLB.com)

IT'S NOT THAT HE'S THE BEST, IT'S THAT YOU'RE THE WORST

"If they think that he's the best player, that's OK. I just don't want to be a backup when I've been playing every day for my whole career."
—Mets second baseman Luis Castillo on being replaced by Ruben Tejada.

"They want to go with young guys, I guess. That's what they tell me now. I'm not ready to be a backup."
—Castillo.

"I came here to be an everyday player and I know it's been hard with the injuries I've had, but I feel good now and thought I was playing well. I've been playing for 14 years and I've never gone through anything like this."
—Castillo. (Dan Martin, New York Post)

IT'S ONE OF THOSE INDEFINITE DEAD ARM PERIOD THINGS

"I don't have any life on the fastball. I get a lot of swings and misses on my fastball. But all the swings and misses I'm getting are on my changeups and curveballs, not on my fastball."
—Yankees starter Javier Vazquez on his decreased velocity.

"I've seen it before. I just don't expect it to come from me, I guess. I didn't expect it to happen to me. I've always done my work. I worked hard in the offseason, during the season between starts. You think you'll be able to throw the same thing you've been throwing your whole career. I hope it comes back. If not, I've got to do a better job locating."
—Vazquez.

"He's very young, very talented. I'm sure he'll bounce back fine. It's been a very successful surgery in our industry."
—Athletics manager Bob Geren on the Tommy John surgery required for top prospect Michael Ynoa. (Jane Lee, MLB.com)

"Obviously my body temperature was pretty high. That’s probably the main one, though, I was starting to get dizzy, felt like I wasn’t really going to be able to help on the field if I wasn’t really seeing straight."
—Red Sox infielder Jed Lowrie, on suffering heatstroke during a game against the Rangers in Arlington. (Amalie Benjamin, Boston Globe)

"Nobody's counting us in, but we could easily sneak back into it ... I hate admitting defeat and I hate thinking that way, because I honestly say a couple times this season I've felt like we were the best team in baseball."
—Tigers outfielder Johnny Damon. (Jason Beck, MLB.com)

"In life you're going to have your good friends and you're going to have your best friends. And then you're going to have those friends that you're not so sure of that are just kind of acquaintances. A lot of times people are shady. They're quick to be on one side one minute and quick to throw you under the bus the next. And the way that I think about it is, who honestly can you really trust?"
—Padres starter Mat Latos. (Jorge Arangure Jr, ESPN.com)

"Today I feel somewhat unhappy as my team was defeated. I only tried to hit properly to advance and made it with a home run. I was also surprised to see the ball pass over the fence."
—Lotte Giants infielder Lee Dae-ho after homering in nine consecutive games in Korea. (Yi Whan-woo, Korea Times)

"He plays better when he drinks a Red Bull or a Monster or something that gives him energy. I asked him, 'Have you been drinking your energy drinks lately?' He said, 'It's the big leagues, I don't need them.' We'll see how many more days that lasts."
—A's infielder Steve Tolleson on the hitless start to outfielder Chris Carter's major-league career. (Jane Lee, MLB.com)